Gaara and the armored cat
by mallyhope
Summary: Gaara has a normal day, until his sister returns from her vacation, with big news. He will then meet a strange armored cat. A vivid dream, is it connected to this creature? how does it all fit together?
1. Chapter 1 Gaara gets a friend

Disclaimer! I don't own the universe of Naruto or any of the character!

Chapter one

The sun was high on the sky, and the kazekage was busy going through the piles of paper, this was the part of the job that Gaara disliked the most. But he understood that every one of those sheds of paper was important, so he tried to minimize the time spend on signing and categorizing them. He used his sand for that, but that meant that sand would be everywhere and when his assistant would enter to deliver more work, or to get the already signed and approved paperwork, he would have to move and be really quiet so that the kazekage wouldn't give him the look. But today was one bad day for the assistant, he was running behind on some deliveries and forgot to knock and when he opened the door he pushed a stack of paperwork to the ground from the sand flouting in the air. Gaara looked up with a displeasing look on his face, directed towards the now shattered paper one the floor. The assistant trying to apologies and gather the paperwork accidently pushes the door more and hits the flouting ink which falls to the ground landing next to the paperwork. Luckily Gaara was quick, and berried the ink in a small sand ball, the assistant looking at the sand ball, got shivers down his spine and slowly looked up towards the Kazekage siting behind the desk. But before their eyes met, Temari gave a discreet cough from the door, taking the full attention of the Kazekage.

Gaara was in his own way happy to see her, she has been away for some time now, the assistant took this opportunity to quickly get out of the room, and closing the door behind him. Gaara slowly moved all his sand to the ground while Temari moved closer to the desk, her smile growing bigger, "Gaara, I have big news." She said with a smile that she was hardly keeping under control, "When you are done here come home because we have something great to celebrate." With does words she was out the door, and Gaara was left to ponder the reason for her not even greeting him, but he did admit that he was curious as to the news she was so eager to celebrate. Gaara thought back for a moment, and remembered that his sister was dating one guy from the leaf village, and he was also the reason for her vacation, that she just now came home from. He felt a little unsettled but dismissed the thought, the only thing that was relevant right now was getting all this paperwork done for the day. After some time the Kazekage was lost in his work, the assistant came back, but his time there were no incident and the day proceeded till the sun was almost down.

Gaara looked up from his desk and saw the shadow from the window, he got up and quickly gathered his sand in the gourd, which he strapped on his back. He started walking out, and down to the streets, to get home, he would normally walk home just to make sure that the streets were safe, Gaara had started doing this years ago. In his mind he felt that it had made a difference, while walking he remember his assistant almost ruining the work he had done, Gaara made a note, to tell him to be more careful. The last beams of sun where almost gone for today, the Kazekage was enjoying the cold wind and the silent. But it was broken when he hear one small sound from a cat, Gaara looked around but he was not sure where it came from. "Meow" the cat came closer, and Gaara saw it. It walked all the way to his feet and lay down, he looked and saw that it had some kind of metal mask of some sort covering its eyes but he was disgusted by the smell coming from the small creature. Gaara quickly moved away from the cat, without giving it another thought he began walking, the cat followed like it had found something it didn't want to lose, Gaara was aware that the cat was following him, but seeing no solution he just ignored it.

Opening the door to his home he was pleasantly surprised by the smell of Temaris cooking, closing the door and progressing to the kitchen. Temari had just finished and was ordering Kankuro to set the table, Gaara walked in and Temari looked up with a bright smile on her face, "Finally, where have you been! Never mind let's eat" she said. With everything on the table that she had cooked they sat down and Temari no longer holding her words back said "I'm getting married" Kankuro started laughing and said "I knew it! That's why you have been this happy all day" Temari laughed at her brother. Gaara was silent, he didn't know what to say, he just looked at his sisters happy face, "when is the wedding?" asked Kankuro with a grin. "We haven't set the date yet since I wanted to tell you guys the news first" said Temari looking at Gaara from the corner of her eye, "so, Gaara, what do you think?" she said hoping her brother would say something at least. Gaara was not sure what to say, his mind was trying to understand where the time had done, for him time had move slow, it seemed like his siblings where always going to be near him.

But now his sister was engaged, and probably moving away, his world was getting smaller and bigger at the same time. He looked at his sister and said "congratulations" with no emotions at all, Gaara stood up and moved to the door getting his gourd and opening the door, he was hit by the foul smell of the cat, sitting in front of the door, like it was waiting for him. Gaara looked down on the cat, now seeing the metal mask more clearly than before, it also had metal on its belly and back, the cat was covered in dirt, and look really skinny. Gaara thought that he needed some kind of distraction to get his mind clear aging, he let the door stay open and walked back to put his gourd down. Looking back at the cat he was debating if he should give it a bath or give it food first, but remembering that his siblings still where in the kitchen he only had one option. Gaara walked over to the cat, to pick it up, the smell was really bad, he thought, with one hand he was now carrying the small creature upstairs to his room where he had his private bathroom. Gently putting the cat on the floor he was now turning on the water, he looked back at the cat, wondering about the metal, and if it was someone cat.

After adjusting the temperature, Gaara went to get the cat, it seemed more than happy to be around water, the bath was over quickly and now the cat was clean and the smell was gone, he wrapped the cat in a towel to get all the water of its fur. By now the cat was purring, Gaara had been lost in his own thoughts and wasn't giving much attention to the little fuzz ball, he got up from the ground and proceeded to go to bed, after undressing and laying down under the covers, he remembered back to the time Shukaku was still a part of him, when he never slept. Now, so many years later he had still to get a good night's sleep, with that the small creature hoped on his bed and walked over to his face, laying down next to his chin purring. Gaara closed his eyes and fell asleep with the sodding sound from the cat


	2. Chapter 2 The Dream

Disclaimer! I don't own the universe of Naruto or any of the character!

 **Chapter two**

 **The dream.**

A giant peacock moth fly had spread its wings for the night seeking some kind of light source, what it may not have known was that this light, was left on by accident. The kazekage had been too tired even to remember the light in the bathroom, but what some may see as a waist, this moth saw as a life saver. Flying towards the blinding light, but evidently hitting some kind of barrier, trying over and over again to get just a little bit closer to that one light. The moth will repeat this with no fail, and eventually exhaust its limit and fall to the ground. Gaara had fallen to sleep as had the cat next to him, it seemed peaceful but underneath, something was boiling, and a nightmare was starting to show its teeth. He was standing in a field of dirt, looking around he saw someone, "Gaara" the person said with their back turned to him. He took one step towards this person, but then he was somewhere ells.

Looking around again he found himself in a field of small purple flowers, the ground open up in a circle around him and up came trees and bushes, the ground was shaking, Gaara lost his foothold and fell. The trees stop growing at some point but the bushes grow until it had made a small cave, with sun beams coming though in between the leaves. he would not be able to stand up in here so he remained still. Looking around more closely his eyes see this snail house, reaching out to take it, someone says "leave it." Gaara looks around and sees a small figure behind the bushes, it can only be a small child, he thought. Trying to get out and after the child, he was again somewhere ells. This time he quickly looked around to find the child first, this place looked like a mixture of a training area and a children's playground. The child was not here but he did see three boys, they looked like teenagers, they're jumping the fence to get in. Gaara started walking towards them and yelling. They didn't hear him or even see him. The three boys saw something because they were now walking in a specific direction, Gaara followed them, and they turned the corner of the building.

Before Gaara was able to see what was there he heard them talking to someone, he quickly ran to the side of the building, and saw those three boys talking to a small child. He walked closer and finally could see the face of the child, it was a girl not older than ten, and she looked scared. Gaara was still walking closer to them, the girl was now with her back to the wall, and he could almost see her wish for the wall to disappear. The girl was looking for something in the distance, her eyes stopped at Gaara, she was looking directly at him "Gaara, help me" she whispered. Gaara stretched out his hand, with his sand flying in the direction of the three boys, but before the sand hit them it froze. He was unable to kill them, and they didn't even notice the sand hovering over their heads. The girl quickly turned around trying to jump over the wall, with her small hands she grabbed after something to hold on to so she could claim over. Gaara saw this and directed his sand to help her, since he was unable to do any damage against the boys. His sand wrapped around her two hands and pulled her up, over and down on the other side, where she was safe. Hearing her small feet run on the other side of the wall was reassuring for Gaara, now that she was safe he could kill those idiots. Taking one step he was immediately in another place.

This time he was irritated, since those bastards deserved at least to be injured. Gaara looked around again feeling displeased with this hold situation, he started to think about this place that keeps sending him places. He realized that this was a dream, he didn't often have dreams, but none where this vivid. With this realization he was nowhere in particular, looking down he saw nothing but white not even a floor it was like standing in the middle of air. Before him was small bobbles floated, he looked at them and saw the little girl in them all, but she was ageing. Gaara saw her life, she was unhappy in most of them, her tears where endless for every drop came though the bobble. And fell down to what before was endless now is a sea, the bobbles started vanishing until there where only one left. It grew till even he was engulfed by it, Gaara had closed his eyes and when he had opened them he was in a room, there this girl was sitting on the corner of the bed to the wall. With her back facing him, she got up and walked out the door after not even two minutes, Gaara could hear people yelling and arguing, the girl was brought back by a man holding her arm tightly, and she was thrown on the bed. A women also entered the room, the girl got up and protested but quickly went silent when she got hit by the man. Gaara lost it and called out his sand to help her, but he was unable to harm him just like the other time. She was thrown back to the bed but this time the man had a strong grip around her throat, she was being strangled and he was powerless.

She managed somehow to kick him of, and get her breath back, the women was trying to help the man, but no one was helping her. The two adults left the room, and she went back to her corner, Gaara heard her silent tears fall, he moved over to the side of her and crouched down. "Gaara, where are you" she whispered. Gaara was confuses by all this he had established that this was a dream but it felt so real, more like it was something he had seen before. "I am here" someone said from the corner. Gaara and the girl look in the direction, it was him, but from years ago, before the time of his fight with Naruto. "Stop crying" he said to the girl, she almost instantly calmed down, "take me away from here, Gaara" she whispered in a sad tone, still looking at the younger Gaara. "You are a weak little girl, why don't you just die" he said to her showing no emotions, she was not scared but said "what if I become strong?" the younger Gaara aimed his hand at her, and was about to attack when she gave him a look of courage and almost dared him to try. Gaara was watching all of this and started to remember, he was here before, this wasn't just a dream it was a memory. The girl got up and went out of the room, and came back soon after with a gun, she looked at the younger Gaara and slowly moved the gun to her head. "You are weak" the younger Gaara said to her, right after, she pulled the trigger.


	3. Chapter 3 Step One

Disclaimer! I don't own the universe of Naruto or any of the characters!

 **Chapter three.**

 **Step One.**

Moths have a particular life, living in the dark, and searching for the light. A simple way of existing, and yet it brings many questions, but the moth will never stray from the path that it has chosen. Humans are often told not to repeat a mistake, but logic has no power over desire. Is it wrong to seek the sun under the stars? When faced against the impossible, does logic and desire even make a difference? For this one moth, that was nearing its death, trying to break the invisible barrier, tried one last time.

The kazekage was having a nightmare, he was sweating and turning, his sand was starting to move around in the room. The creature next to him had woken up, it was sitting, watching him and the room. It heard something, and quickly it moved to find the source. The sound was coming from the window, in the bathroom, like small stones hitting the glass. The light that was forgotten, had been found by this small insect. The four legged creature that walked in and saw this desperate image, could not help but to feel for the insect, it had experienced a similar feeling. The cat stretched its legs and grow, its shadow changed. It now looked more like at predator, then a pet, it moved quickly to the window and smashed it with one paw.

With one last attempt on breaking the barrier, the moth flew with all its might and made it through, it looked at the light and started circling it. The cat was back to its small form, and walked happy out of the room. Gaara had woken up from the sound of the glass breaking, and was sitting on the side of the bed, looking nowhere in particular. The small creature jumped playfully over the sand pails, making enough noise to get Gaaras attention. He looked over at the small cat that was now sitting at watching him back. From the moon light and the light from the bathroom he looked at the cats mask and thought he saw two eyes looking straight at him. Feeling hungry he stood up and went to turn on the light, and realized all the sand that was in his room. With not even at movement all the sand started to transport back in the gourd. After finding some clothes he turn off the light in the bathroom and walked over to the door, to go downstairs, but a moth fly just flew out of the bathroom.

Circling the light in his room, Gaara turned and was watching it, seeing this made him remember his dream. The moth hit the light and feel to the ground. Gaara was in a shock, he didn't see a moth he saw the girl from his dream, the one with the courage, who he dared to die. In his head he hear the shot from the gun, over and over, the sand was starting to move again. Gaara was frozen he could not move, this feeling was too familiar to him, all he wanted was to forget. But he could not, he remembered everything, why the eyes of the pink haired girl from the chunin exams made him not kill her, she had the same eyes. Gaara fell to the floor, he had made a promise to protect, because life was precious and he wanted to change. "Who was she" he whispered to himself in a sad tone. Hearing a soft sound Gaara noticed the cat clawing at his arm and purring. Realizing where he was, and was he was doing, he calmed himself. The sand that was spiraling in the room, giving of a wind, slowly moved back to the gourd.

Gaara picked up the cat with both hands, holding it in front of him, the cat opened its mouth "meow" he wanted to have all the answers, but one thing he understood now after years being the kazekage, was time always tells. "Are you hungry?" he asked the cat not expecting any responds. "Meow" he smirked at the cat, placing it on the floor, and proceeding to get up. He used his sand to carry the moth fly after him, opening the door to walk downstairs and outside. Turning the corner of his home he lifted some sand and placed the moth in the hole. Looking at it one last time, he buried it, and made a star sign on the wall. So that it will always have light, "thank you" he said and walked back in the house.

Opening the fridge, he found the left-overs and toke everything out. Gaara had two plates one for him, and one for the cat but with only meat. After eating he cleaned everything away, and went upstairs to go to bed, he still had a job to do in a couple of hours. Laying back down the cat once again made itself comfortable next to his chin, and they both fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4 Jump-scare from a friend

**Disclaimer! I don't own the universe of Naruto or any of the characters!**

 **Chapter Four.**

 **Jumpscare from a friend.**

The sun was slowly rising in the distance and the people in the village of the sand were getting ready for a days work. The Kazekage was on his way out the door, with his new companion who was happy and clean. Temari who was just walking down the stairs noticed Gaara "Morning" she said hoping to strike an early conversation. "Morning" Gaara said without turning around and not stopping his steps, from his feet came a small "meow" and that was just the thing that made Temari wonder what was going on. Gaara and the small creature were out the door, leaving a very confused sister to ponder on this development. On the way to his office, Gaara felt a little different then his usually self. Looking down towards his feet, he was not content, his mind was slipping away. Feeling guilty and sad for his past mistakes, he wondered off to his dream that he had. The flowers, the endless field, the girl he helped and then turned his back on. She was a figment of his imagination. He remembered when he was a child, and the one-tailed beast would take over, he disappeared to a place where she was waiting for him. They would laugh together, play and explore the land, in this dream she was his first friend, she was his sanctuary. It all ended when he became one with the beast, she no longer mattered to him, that was what he told himself that day. He started to feel overwhelmed by all different kinds of emotions, not wanting to show this side of himself to by passers, he quickly summoned his sand and disappeared from the spot forgetting all about the cat that was accompanying him.

Outside of the village walls approached a group of ninjas, in a fast pace quickly reaching the entrance.  
They where let inside where Temari was waiting for them, "Hi guys!" Temari shouted with one arm waving at them. The four ninjas approached her, "long time no see" Sakura said with open arms, they hugged. Temari held her hands and said "Yeah, I heard that you were on a mission when I was visiting" Sakura became uncomfortable and looked down, "let's not talk about that, tell me how have you been?" Temari gestured to walk with her, and they talked on the way.

On the roof of the Kazekage building, one person was watching the people with a hint of sadness in his eyes. Trying with all his might to wish away this feeling so that he could resume his work like the strong leader he wished so much to be. He sat down to meditate and gather his thoughts, a warm wind hit his face. He breathed in and slowly let the air out, closing his eyes and diving into his mind.

Temari and Sakura where a little ahead of the others, talking like they haven't seen each other for years, the others where not so much in a talking mood. the rood was long and tiering not to mention that they all were hungry. Temari was leading them to her families house, she had already made food and prepared rooms for her guests. "Hey Naruto, why are you so quiet?" Temari asked with a confused face. "Sorry, I'm just so tired, from all the work they are making me do just to become Hokage" Naruto said exertion coming off of his face. "Can't say that I feel sorry for you, my brother had to go through the same you know" Temari said with a smile. " _Yea Naruto, you don't have to become the Hokage_ " Shino said from the back of the group "oh yeah, how is Gaara?" Naruto asked. While Temari was answering that question, Tenten was telling Shino how his joke was funny, and he should maybe next time say it a bit louder.

Gaara was still on the roof, he still had time before his assistant would walk in his office with yesterdays report. Before that he needed to get his mind under control, but that was not so easy. The cat had found Gaara with ease and was now walking playfully towards him, sitting down in front of him and looking up. The cat started purring, one paw resting on his leg. "Meow" When he didn't answer the cats call, it jumped up on his shoulder giving him a little scare. Gaara felt the creature nuzzling his cheek but the metal on its face was warm and almost burned him, so he quickly grabbed the cat with one hand and put it down. It had a greyish, with a mixture of brown dots color fur and the armor was all metal covering its eyes and back. Gaara thought that someone most had put a lot of effort into making this for a blind house cat. But that made him a bit confused how did this creature see when its eyes where covered and where did it come from.

Temari opening the door and inviting her guests in "Kankuro!, our guests are here" she yelled out into the house. "Great guys come and eat!" Kankuro yelled back from the kitchen. Naruto quickly moved ahead of the others, walking in to the kitchen Naruto gave a big smile to Kankuro who was already sitting at the table filed with food. The last person to enter the kitchen was Temari who said " Please sit and eat, after I will show you to your rooms" "Thank you Temari" Tenten said with a smile. Around 20 minutes later, Temari was showing them there rooms. Temari was now back in the kitchen cleaning up, when Naruto came down yelling " Temari! I will go see Gaara now! See you later!" before she could answer he was out the door. Maybe Naruto can get Gaara in a better mood, she thought to herself.

At the Kazekage office everything was as normal, nobody had yet realized that the Kazekage was missing from work. Gaara was still meditating on the roof with the cat in his lap, a peaceful air surrounding them. Naruto had spotted Gaara sitting on the roof and was now debating if he should disturb him. Naruto decided to scare Gaara by appearing out of nowhere, but he would have to be really quiet. He got up on the roof behind Gaara and was slowly tiptoeing closer. Two meters away from Gaara, Naruto yells "AAAAHHHHH" Gaara jumps up and is about to turn around to see who it is. When he sees the small cat growing bigger in seconds, now looking like a fierce panther. It jumped and knocked Naruto over. "AAAAHHH" Naruto yelled with fear in his voice. The big cat was holding Naruto down with one paw and roaring into his face. Showing its teeth. Gaara who was confused about all of this just stood there baffled, but he quickly moved over to Naruto and the big cat like creature. "Gaara help me" Naruto pleaded. Coming closer Gaara realized that is was the same cat that just a moment ago was laying in his lag sleeping. "Let him go" Gaara told the creature. One paw was lifted and naruto crawled away. The big panther like cat turned its head towards Gaara, sitting down and yarning. It was two heads taller then him, the Armor had grown with its size and its color had changed to a all grey fur. Gaara approached the beast reaching out with a hand towards it. The Big cat ignored it and moved closer to Gaara and licked his face from the side. Naruto Started Laughing from the sight he had seen. Gaara was not happy about this, and certainly didn't appreciate Naruto laughing at him. "What are you laughing at!?" Gaara asked in a angry voice "your hair" Naruto kept laughing. The big cats tongue had pulled his hair strait up and left it there.


End file.
